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Ontario’s minor league baseball team lands new name and un-bee-lievable mascot – San Bernardino Sun

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A sea of blue and white filled the outdoor auditorium at Ontario Town Square Thursday evening, Sept. 18, the crowd buzzing with anticipation.

Fans cheered as the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ Single-A affiliate, which is moving to Ontario in 2026, announced its name — the Ontario Tower Buzzers — with the help of some big league legends and Maverick the bee, the minor league team’s mascot.

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Heather McKeating holds up an Ontario Tower Buzzers t-shirt for a fan in the merchandise tent following the official announcement of the teams name, the single A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers, at the Ontario Town Center in downtown Ontario on Thursday, Sep. 18, 2025. The Ontario Baseball Club, the single A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers, officially announced the name of the new club as the Ontario Tower Buzzers and it’s new mascot Maverick. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

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“It’s so incredible to see everyone. This crowd is enormous,” Jaime Jarrín, retired Spanish-language announcer for the Dodgers, said as the crowd welcomed the team. Maverick, wearing a blue, aviator-style jacket and goggles, made his first appearance and tossed prizes into the crowd.

Robert and Christina Sanchez, both Ontario natives, made their way to the merchandise tent to make sure they are outfitted for opening day in 2026. The line for the tent stretched down a portion of Euclid Avenue.

“We’re bringing a new baseball team to Ontario and that’s unheard of. You got the largest boarding complex west of the Mississippi, which is also great,” Robert Sanchez said. “We are very excited and very proud. It’s an honor to be here.”

The couple spent $665 on merchandise, they said, to support not just the team but what it represents to their family.

“We have two girls and our baby boy, so we’re super excited to bring him to the field and then hopefully even play too,” Christina Sanchez said. “All of our kids were born in Ontario, so it’s more than just baseball. It’s where our family is from and where our family is growing.”

With the Tower Buzzers, the team establishes a brand that hearkens back to the city’s early aviation history, the Ontario International Airport’s control tower, and stunt pilots of the past.

Keeping in the same high-flying spirit, the team mascot, Maverick, is decked out with aviator goggles, a vintage bomber jacket and a red scarf.

Like the major league club, the Tower Buzzers will sport uniforms of Dodger blue and white.

“From the start, we set out to build a team that reflects the Dodgers’ winning culture andOntario’s grit and heart,” Allan Benavides, general manager of the Ontario Baseball Club, said in a news release. “As the city’s first professional baseball team, we’re proud to salute Ontario’s aviation legacy while capturing the buzz around this milestone moment for the community.”

Former Dodger stars such as Jarrín, Joe Kelly, Bill Russell and Steve Sax attended the event Thursday, hosted by TV personality Mario Lopez.

The unveiling of the team’s name and mascot brings the organization one step closer to opening the 6,500-capacity stadium known as ONT Field, which is at the center of the Ontario Sports Empire near Riverside Drive and Vineyard Avenue. The Tower Buzzers are expected to take the field in April 2026.

In addition to baseball, ONT Field will host concerts, festivals, 5K races, movie nights and other events, according to promoters.

The Dodgers’ affiliate moves to Ontario from Rancho Cucamonga, where the team has played as the Quakes.

“Seeing a lot of the great players that have come through Rancho and going to be able to see them in Ontario … it’s gonna be phenomenal,” said Abel Carlin, who drove from Fontana to attend the event Thursday. “If this event is any indication of what the new stadium is going to be like it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

For more information about the Tower Buzzers and future events, see milb.com/team/Ontario.

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